7
Inkulumo KaStefane ESanihedrini
1 Ngakho umphristi omkhulu wasembuza wathi, “Ukumangalelwa konke lokhu kuliqiniso na?”
2 Kulokhu waphendula wathi: “Bafowethu labobaba ake lingilalele! UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo waziveza kubaba wethu u-Abhrahama esahlala eMesophothamiya, engakahlali eHarani. 3 UNkulunkulu wathi, ‘Tshiya ilizwe lakini labantu bakini uye elizweni engizakutshengisa lona.’*
4 Ngakho wasuka elizweni lamaKhaladiya wayahlala eHarani. Ngemva kokufa kukayise, uNkulunkulu wamletha kuleli ilizwe lapho eselihlala khona manje. 5 Kamuphanga lifa lapha loba nje isiqintshana somhlabathi. Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamthembisa ukuthi yena lezizukulwane zakhe ngemva kwakhe babezalizuza ilizwe lelo libe ngelabo, loba nje ngalesosikhathi u-Abhrahama wayengelamntwana. 6 UNkulunkulu wakhuluma laye kanje: ‘Izizukulwane zakho zizakuba ngabezizweni elizweni elingayisilo lazo okweminyaka engamakhulu amane, njalo zizagqilazwa, zihlukuluzwe. 7 Ngizasijezisa lesosizwe esibagqilazayo,’† kusitsho uNkulunkulu, ‘emva kwalokho bazaphuma kulelolizwe bangikhonze kuyonale indawo.’ 8 Wasenika u-Abhrahama isivumelwano sokusoka. U-Abhrahama waba nguyise ka-Isaka, wamsoka ngemva kwensuku eziyisificaminwembili ezelwe. Ngemva kwalokho u-Isaka waba nguyise kaJakhobe, uJakhobe yena waba nguyise wabokhokho abalitshumi lambili.
9 Ngenxa yokuthi okhokho babalomhawu ngoJosefa, bamthengisela eGibhithe njengesigqili. Kodwa uNkulunkulu waba laye 10 wamephula kuzozonke inhlupho zakhe. Wanika uJosefa inhlakanipho, wamenza wathandwa nguFaro, inkosi yaseGibhithe. Yona yasimenza umbusi eGibhithe lakuso sonke isigodlo sakhe.
11 Indlala yasihlasela lonke elaseGibhithe leleKhenani, kwaba lobunzima obukhulu ngoba okhokho bethu bakuswela ukudla. 12 UJakhobe esezwile ukuthi amabele ayekhona eGibhithe, wathuma okhokho bethu ekuhambeni kwabo kwakuqala. 13 Sebesiya khona okwesibili, uJosefa wabatshela abanewabo ukuthi wayengubani, njalo uFaro waziswa ngabakibo kaJosefa. 14 Ngemva kwalokho uJosefa wasebiza uyise uJakhobe ukuthi eze labendlu yakhe bonke, kungabantu abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa lanhlanu sebebonke. 15 Ngakho uJakhobe wasesehlela kweleGibhithe lapho afela khona yena kanye labokhokho bethu. 16 Izidumbu zabo zabuyiswa eShekhemu zabekwa ethuneni elathengwa ngu-Abhrahama emadodaneni kaHamori eShekhemu ngemali ethile.
17 Kwathi isikhathi sesisondele esokuthi uNkulunkulu agcwalise isithembiso sakhe ku-Abhrahama, inani labantu bakithi eGibhithe landa ngamandla. 18 Kwasekusiba ‘lenye inkosi eyayingazi lutho ngoJosefa yaba ngumbusi eGibhithe.’‡ 19 Yaba lesihluku ebantwini bakithi, yancindezela okhokho bethu ngokubabamba ngamandla ukuthi balahlele khatshana insane zabo ezisanda kuzalwa ukuthi zife.
20 Ngalesosikhathi uMosi wazalwa, njalo engasumntwana makhaza. Okwezinyanga ezintathu wondliwa endlini kayise. 21 Kwathi esebekwe phandle, indodakazi kaFaro yamthatha yamkhulisa njengomntanayo. 22 UMosi wafundiswa kuyo yonke inhlakanipho yamaGibhithe, eligagu lokukhuluma lokwenza.
23 Kwathi uMosi eseleminyaka engamatshumi amane obudala, wacabanga ukuya kwethekelela abantu bakibo, abako-Israyeli. 24 Wabona omunye wabo ehlukuluzwa ngumGibhithe, ngakho wayamlamulela, wenanisa ngokubulala umGibhithe lowo. 25 UMosi wakhumbula ukuthi abantu bakibo babezakunanzelela ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayemsebenzisa ukuthi abakhulule, kodwa kabakunanzelelanga. 26 Ngosuku olulandelayo uMosi wawela phezu kwabako-Israyeli ababili ababesilwa. Wazama ukubalamula ngokuthi, ‘Madoda, liyizinini; kungani lihlukuluzana kangaka na?’
27 Kodwa leyondoda eyayihlukuluza eyinye, yamfuqela eceleni uMosi yathi, ‘Ngubani okwenze umbusi lomahluli phezu kwethu? 28 Ufuna ukungibulala njengomGibhithe ombuleleyo izolo?’§ 29 UMosi wathi ekuzwa lokho wabalekela eMidiyani, lapho ahlala khona njengesizwe, wazala khona amadodana amabili.
30 Sekwedlule iminyaka engamatshumi amane, ingilosi yavela kuMosi iselangabini lesixuku esibhebhayo enkangala eduze kweNtaba iSinayi. 31 Wathi ekubona lokhu wamangala kakhulu ngalowombono. Wathi uyasondela ukuthi abonisise, wezwa ilizwi likaThixo lisithi: 32 ‘NginguNkulunkulu waboyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, lo-Isaka loJakhobe.’* UMosi wathuthumela ngokwesaba wehluleka ukukhangela.
33 INkosi yasisithi kuye, ‘Khupha amanyathela akho, ngoba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele. 34 Ngempela sengikubonile ukuhlukuluzeka kwabantu bami eGibhithe. Sengikuzwile ukububula kwabo, ngakho sengibuyile phansi lapha ukuzebakhulula. Manje-ke zwana, ngizakubuyisela eGibhithe.’†
35 Nguye kanye uMosi lo ababemalile ngamazwi athi, ‘Ngubani okwenze umbusi lomahluli na?’ Wathunyelwa ukuba ngumbusi lomkhululi nguNkulunkulu mathupha, ngengilosi eyabonakala kuye isesixukwini. 36 Wabakhokhela baphuma elizweni laseGibhithe, wenza izimanga lemimangaliso eGibhithe lasolwandle olubomvu kanye lasenkangala okweminyaka engamatshumi amane enkangala.
37 Nguye lo uMosi owatshela abako-Israyeli wathi, ‘UNkulunkulu wenu uzalivusela umphrofethi phakathi kwabafowenu njengami.’‡ 38 Wayephakathi kwebandla enkangala, elabokhokho bethu njalo elayo ingilosi eyakhuluma kuye eNtabeni yaseSinayi; njalo wemukela amazwi okuphila ukuthi awedlulisele kithi.
39 Kodwa okhokho bethu bala ukumlalela. Bamala, kwathi ezinhliziyweni zabo babuyela eGibhithe. 40 Batshela u-Aroni bathi, ‘Yenza onkulunkulu abazasikhokhela. UMosi lo owasikhupha eGibhithe asisakwazi ukuthi usedliwe yini!’§ 41 Yiso lesosikhathi abenza ngaso isithombe esasilesimo sethole. Baletha imihlatshelo kulo, benza umkhosi wokuthakazelela lokho okwenziwa yizandla zabo. 42 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wabafulathela, wabakhalala ukuba bakhonze ilanga, inyanga lezinkanyezi. Lokhu kuvumelana lalokho okulotshiweyo encwadini yabaphrofethi ukuthi:
‘Wena ndlu ka-Israyeli,
langilethela na imihlatshelo leminikelo
ngeminyaka engamatshumi amane enkangala?
43 Hatshi, lathwala isikhonzelo sikaMoleki
lenkanyezi kankulunkulu wenu uRefani,
izithombe elazenzayo ukuthi lizikhonze.
Ngakho-ke, ngizalixotshela ekuthunjweni’* ngale kweBhabhiloni.
44 Okhokho bethu babelalo ithabanikeli lobufakazi enkangala. Lalenziwe njengokuqondiswa kukaMosi nguNkulunkulu elandela isimo ayesibonile. 45 Sebelamukele ithala okhokho bethu bengaphansi kukaJoshuwa beza lalo ekuthumbeni kwabo izizwe. Lahlala elizweni kwaze kwaba yisikhathi sikaDavida, 46 owathandwa nguNkulunkulu, wacela ukuthi alungisele uNkulunkulu kaJakhobe indawo yokuhlala. 47 Kodwa kwaba nguSolomoni owamakhelayo leyondlu.
48 Lanxa kunjalo, oPhezukonke kahlali ezindlini ezakhiwe ngabantu. Njengoba esitsho umphrofethi ukuthi:
49 ‘Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi,
lomhlaba uyisenabelo sami.
Lizangakhela ndlu bani?
kutsho iNkosi.
Kambe izaba ngaphi indawo yami yokuphumula na?
50 Izinto zonke lezi kazenziwanga yisandla sami na?’†
51 Lina ziqholo zabantu, abanhliziyo lezindlebe ezingasokanga! Lifuze oyihlo: Lihlezi lijamelene loMoya oNgcwele! 52 Kambe kwake kwabakhona umphrofethi oyihlo abangazange bamhlukuluze na? Baze bababulala lalabo abaphrofetha ngokuza koLungileyo. Khathesi selimnikele lambulala, 53 lina eseliwemukele umthetho oweza ngezingilosi kodwa kaliwulandelanga.”
UStefane Ukhandwa Ngamatshe
54 Amalunga eSanihedrini esekuzwile lokhu azonda, afuthelana, amgedlela amazinyo. 55 Kodwa uStefane egcwele uMoya oNgcwele wakhangela ezulwini wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu loJesu emi esandleni sokunene sikaNkulunkulu. 56 Wathi, “Khangelani, ngibona izulu livuliwe leNdodana yoMuntu imi esandleni sokunene sikaNkulunkulu.”
57 Besizwa lokhu bagcika indlebe zabo, baklabalala, bamdumela 58 bamhudulela phandle kwedolobho, bamkhanda ngamatshe. Ofakazi babeka izigqoko zabo phambi kwejaha elalithiwa nguSawuli.
59 Kwathi belokhu bemkhanda uStefane wakhuleka wathi, “Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami.” 60 Wathi vutshalala ngamadolo phansi wamemeza wathi, “Nkosi, ungababekeli mlandu ngalesisono.” Kuthe esetsho lokho, walala.
* 7:3 UGenesisi 12.1 † 7:7 UGenesisi 15.13-14 ‡ 7:18 U-Eksodasi 1.8 § 7:28 U-Eksodasi 2.14 * 7:32 U-Eksodasi 3.6 † 7:34 U-Eksodasi 3.5, 7, 8, 10 ‡ 7:37 UDutheronomi 18.15 § 7:40 U-Eksodasi 32.1 * 7:43 U-Amosi 5.25-27 † 7:50 U-Isaya 66.1-2